Styled shoots are a creative way for photographers, stylists, and other wedding pros, to show off their talent and visions to inspire readers for their own wedding planning.
Tis the season!
We continue the focus on Christmas trends featuring this styled shoot celebrating the Winter Solstice styled by Exceptional Events by Elisa and photographed by Butterfly Photography Studio.
Winter officially begins with the Winter Solstice on Saturday, December 21, 2019. This is the astronomical first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and is just a few short days before Christmas.
The Scoop:
Christmas is Elisa’s favorite holiday! Elisa is the Founder, Lead Planner and Lead Designer at Exceptional Events by Elisa. She has 20+ years’ experience in event planning – 10 of them in corporate and nonprofit events. Elisa finds the celebration magical and spiritual at the same time. Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were the biggest holiday celebrations in her home where the family got together to enjoy huge family dinners in Honduras. Since she was a child, Elisa has loved to entertain family and loved ones, as well as to design special table settings for her family.
Elisa is creative, resourceful and an “outside the box” thinker. She loves to do things differently. She wanted to create a “winter” design that could easily and effortlessly be used for any winter holiday. Using a uniquely curved table as the focal point, she set an appointment with Bryan Swann, EMC, the Creative Director and Director of Special Events at Karin’s Florist, to brainstorm on the florals and design details.
Bryan has worked in the floral industry for over 23 years, and has won numerous awards, including the Society of American Florists VaseOff! challenge and the Society of American Florist VaseOff! All-Stars challenge. More recently, Bryan completed the EMC Program to earn a European Masters Certification in floral design. There are only 150 designers in the world who carry this prestigious certification.
Elisa and Bryan have been working together for over 6 years and love creating and designing unique (and exceptional!) designs.
What we love:
The soft and dreamy color choice of white on white gives the setting an ethereal feel, that makes us think of A Silent Night.
Those white roses and orchids set a chic mood, as does the soft up lighting and mod table.
Check out the furry table linens, doesn’t it make you think of snow?
Those touches of gold including the wine glasses, silverware, chargers, napkins and vases, add glamour for a sophisticated affair.
We can just imagine a beautiful bridal couple, all in white, sitting and enjoying their beautiful reception at this table.
Pure Christmas magic!
Sources:
VENUE
2941 is one of the most celebrated restaurants in the Washington metropolitan area. The restaurant is nestled in the heart of Falls Church, VA surrounded by lush landscaping, koi ponds, waterfalls, world-class artwork, and a lakeside view.
Named by Washingtonian Magazine in 2017 as a 100 Very Best Restaurant, Northern Virginia Magazine
in 2017 as one of the Top 50 Best Restaurants, and by Eater DC as one of 38 Essential Washington Restaurants, to name a few accolades, 2941 continues to charm gourmands with its sophisticated yet relaxed ambiance, outstanding service, and inventive cuisine.
TABLESCAPE
Elisa loves Christmas! It is her favorite holiday! Since she was a child, she and her mom decorated their entire house the week of Thanksgiving – everything was fully decorated for the Thanksgiving dinner. She wanted to create a “winter” design that could easily and effortlessly be used for Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve or for any occasion in Winter. In order to accomplish this, she chose a simple color palette where winter white serves as the main color (symbolizing snow!) with gold details (symbolizing the Gift of Magi!) and a hint of red in the food.
The secret to her uniquely shaped tablescape design was in configuring curved tables into an “S” or “Serpentine” configuration. Typically used for buffet service, these tables are more recently being used as luxury head tables. Linens are usually limited to overlays with table skirts or fitted/stretch linens in a handful of colors, but with Bryan and Elisa at the helm of the design, the “linens” were anything but limiting! William Deshon from Elisa’s team built the table tops, so Elisa and Bryan could incorporate a thick faux fur “table cloth” in luxurious winter white such that it only covered the top of the table as though it were a freshly fallen blanket of snow! Except that it was warm and cozy, and all the while modern and hip as it was supported by white acrylic pedestals (table legs) resembling frosted glass.
Elisa used gold for all the details, the clean style kept the design elegant, modern and trendy. The white faux fur made the gold details pop up without overpowering the design. The Gatsby gold chairs are at once classic and modern. The napkins, charger plates, barware and flatware perfectly frame each plated dish and complemented the floral vases. A closer look reveals the level of detail of each accessory: from the gold rim around the barware glasses, to the gold rim around the charger plates to the textured gold napkins and gold flatware.
THE FOOD
Executive Chef Bertrand Chemel presents contemporary American cuisine accented with bold French and Mediterranean flavors. Exquisite and inventive cuisine, outstanding customer service and a great view are only part of the dining experience at 2941 Restaurant. Beautiful tablescapes can be part of the experience and a complement to the edible masterpieces that are plated for their guests.
The colorful plated dish on our Winter Solstice design is Goat Cheese Mousse. This eye appealing and scrumptiously delicious dessert consists of candied beets, Granny Smith apples, orange-cranberry marmalade, and mâche salad.
THE FLORALS
Elisa and Bryan have worked together for several years and loved designing this “outside the box” idea. Bryan is extremely creative and is comfortable with any design style. Elisa loves his edgy and trend setting style!
To bring Elisa’s vision to life, Bryan chose to create a combination of tall lavish floral centerpieces and small pieces to give the table height and dimension, and at the same time, a full look. He used gold vases to bring the design together and complement the chairs, charger plates, napkins and flatware. Bryan carried through the winter white theme to create these gorgeous florals by incorporating following varieties:
Scientific Name Common Name
Phalaenopsis ‘Kobe’ Kobe Moth Orchid
Hydrangea macrophylla Hydrangea
Dianthus caryophyllus Carnation
Rosa ‘Polar Star’ Polar Star Rose
Eustoma russellianum Lisianthus
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Port Orford Cedar
THE DETAILS
The secret to a GREAT tablescape is in all the details.
Stationery and invitations set the tone for any event. Invitations provide a “sneak peek” of what is to come. They share logistics details, event themes and colors as well as what attire to wear. The invitation suite used for this inspiration is classic and elegant. Gold was used a secondary and complementary color amidst a winter wonderland of white hues and tones. The simple lines with the delicate and intricate gold laser cut cover elevates the design and makes it timeless, while echoing the clean lines of the table design. Gold details give the suite depth and perfectly complement the gold accents throughout including the chairs, flatware, barware and charger plates.
Even though Elisa used gold for all the details, the clean style keeps the design elegant, modern and trendy. Select Event Group’s Gatsby gold chairs are at once classic and modern. The napkins, charger plates, barware and flatware perfectly frame each plated dish and complement the floral vases. A closer look reveals the level of detail of each accessory: from the gold rim around the barware glasses, to the gold rim around the charger plates to the textured gold napkins and gold flatware.
The use of custom, intelligent lighting can transform any room into something magical. Intelligent lighting is a great way to elevate a design, create ambiance and catch your eye. Bob Yutzy of Dominion Wedding Entertainment did an amazing job finding just the right light color to highlight the varying shades of winter white, while enhancing the overall tablescape design. Although the white palette echoes a blanket of snow, the mood of this Winter Solstice design was very warm indeed, just as holidays and special winter occasions ought to be.
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Sources:
VENUE
2941 Restaurant
Contact: Michelle Marquez
Phone: (703) 270-1511
Email: Michelle.Marquez@2941.com
Website: www.2941.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/2941restaurant
Instagram: www.instagram.com/2941restaurant
CATERER
2941 Restaurant
Contact: Michelle Marquez
Phone: (703) 270-1511
Email: Michelle.Marquez@2941.com
Website: www.2941.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/2941restaurant
Instagram: www.instagram.com/2941restaurant
EVENT DAY-OF COORDINATOR
All for You Events & Designs
Contact: Tasha Wells
Phone: (202) 550-2166
Email: tasha@allforyoued.com
Website: www.allforyoued.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/All-For-You-Events-and-Designs
Instagram: www.instagram.com/allforyoueventsanddesigns
EVENT PLANNER & DESIGNER
Exceptional Events by Elisa
Contact: Elisa Yu-Shan Lion
Phone: (703) 752-6287
Email: eyushan@exceptionaleventsbyelisa.com
Website: www.exceptionaleventsbyelisa.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/exceptionaleventsbyelisa.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/exceptionaleventsbyelisayushan
FLORAL DESIGNER
Karin’s Florist
Contact: Bryan Swann
Phone: (703) 281-4141
Email: bryan@karinsflorist.com.com
Website: www.karinfloristcom / www.eventsbykarins.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/karinsflorist
Instagram: www.instagram.com/karinsflorist
LIGHTING
Dominion Wedding Entertainment
Contact: Bob Yutzy
Phone: (703) 989-1874
Email: bob@dominionwed.com
Website: www.dominionweddingentertainment.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dominionweddingentertainment
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dominionweddingentertainment
PHOTOGRAPHER
Butterfly Photography
Contact: Sanaz Fahimi
Phone: (571) 274-7107
Email: photographycenter@yahoo.com
Website: www.butterflyphotographycenter.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/butterflyphotographycenter
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sanazbutterflyphoto
RENTALS (Charger Plates, & Napkins)
BBJ Linen
Contact: Brittany Bonta
Phone: (202) 945-7631
Email: bbonta@bbjlinen.com
Website: www.bbjlinen.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BBJLinen
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bbjlinen
RENTALS (Barware)
Bella Villa Antiques & Vintage Rentals
Contact: Rosanna Funiciello Smith
Phone: (571) 921-0356
Email: squirrel@bellavillavintagerentals.com
Website: www.bellavillavintagerentals.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bellavillaantiques
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bellavillashop
RENTALS (Flatware)
Sammy’s Rentals
Contact: Sammy Pineda / Christine
Phone: (703) 361-6216
Email: info@sammysrental.com
Website: www.sammysrental.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Sammys-Rental-Inc
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sammysrental
RENTALS (Chairs)
Select Event Group
Contact: Haley Durbin
Phone: (301) 812-3414
Email: hdurbin@selecteventgroup.com
Website: www.selecteventgroup.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/selecteventgroup
Instagram: www.instagram.com/selecteventgroup
STATIONERY
KK’s Stationery & Printing
Contact: Caitlin Troilo-Waddell
Phone: (540) 317-5440
Email: iinfo@kay-kays.com
Website: www.kay-kays.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KKsPrintingStationery
Instagram: www.instagram.com/kksprinting
If you are planning a wedding in Roanoke Virginia, Richmond Virginia, Fredericksburg/Northern Virginia, The Shenandoah Valley, Coastal Virginia or in Charlottesville/ Lynchburg Va, we can help with your wedding planning and ideas.
